Garden Club Hoping to Lure Monarch Butterflies to Edina Park

Edina's Late Bloomers garden club is spearheading an effort to lure additional monarch butterflies to Edina, by constructing a monarch waystation at Arneson Acres Park.

The project went before the Edina Park Board last month for approval, receiving unanimous support from members. Parks and Recreation Director Ann Kattreh said the Late Bloomers approached her regarding the new addition to the park, which would be located to the south of the Edina Historical Society.

"They're really thinking that this is going to be a big draw and that they would actually receive some recognition from the National Monarch Society," Kattreh said. "The garden club is very excited about this."

Tim Zimmerman, Edina's staff horticulturalist, selected the site in an open area east of the formal gardens in the middle of Arneson Acres. The site will be approximately 150 square feet and will meet all of the requirements of the National Monarch Society.

According to a city report, it will be a prairie-type garden, featuring "as many native plants as possible."

"There will be some annuals and non-native species that attract butterflies and birds," the report reads. "It will include a lot of nectar plants."

Millions of monarch butterflies migrate from the U.S. and Canada to Mexico and California every winter. They then return to their homes in spring, but the trip has been made more difficult due to the loss of their natural habitat throughout North America.

The push to install more monarch waystations throughout the nation is aimed at providing them with natural spaces filled with resources necessary to both sustain their migration and produce successive generations.

Additional information on monarch waystations can be found online at monarchwatch.org.

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